Housing fraud prevention processes to be tightened in York

According to a report which will be considered by the Councils Audit committee next week more needs to be done to prevent fraudulent applications for Council houses.

There are concerns about sub letting.

The report says

The process for identifying housing fraud was found to be working reasonably well at the outset of tenancies in that the procedure for applying for properties is being followed with the necessary documents being obtained to support the housing application.

Applications for housing are input manually onto the housing system by Housing Registrations Officers based on a phone conversation or meeting with the applicant with no signature obtained to confirm the information on the application is correct.

Pictures were not routinely taken of tenants when they start their
tenancy nor is there an agreed process or timescale to take pictures of existing tenants.

This means that an important way to confirm that the
person living at the property is as expected is being missed.